When do you think KPop will finally enter the 3rd Millennium?

With BTS gone as a contender, a deadly struggle among the remnants of 2nd millennium and the rising acts of 3rd millennium will clash.

Here are some acts which belong to the 2nd millennium. (If some members belong to different millennia, I will put the act into the millennia with more members in there. Ties are put in the earlier millennium.) The list won't be exhaustive so I might miss some acts

Twice 1995-1999

BlackPink 1995-1997

RedVelvet 1991-1999

Seventeen 1995 - 1999

NCT 127 1994-2000

(G)i-dle 1997-2000

Akmu 1996,1999

IU - officially 1993

Here are some acts belonging to 3rd millennium. which I will say started on 2000.

NCT Dream 1999-2002

Itzy 2000-2003

Stray kids 1997-2001

txt 1999-2002

aespa 2000-2002

NMIXX 2002-2006

Enhypen 2001-2005

Treasure 1999-2005

IVE 2002-2007

Le Serrafim 1998-2006

Although the 3rd millennium acts clearly outnumber the 2nd millennium acts, the later are quite deeply entrenched, with no sign of relinquishing power any time soon.

The key would be how long the 2nd millennium acts will continue to fight off the 3rd millennium acts. I think the fight will be fierce since unlike the old days companies are reluctant to retire acts which are making money.

The rest of 2022 and 2023 will be the battle for Generations. There is actually an advantage on the 2nd Generation people since they still sell more number of albums, and have more entrenched number of fans. How long this awkward struggle will last will be one of the biggest points of 2022 and 2023.

Quote from BlackpinkHouse

I think the 2nd millennium of Kpop is winding down. With BTS gone, their list of hits in Korea grows mighty thin. Since Izone's defacto disbandment in March of 2021, which set the stage for the rise of the 3rd millennium, this is the list of top 10 ish Melon Daily songs for the 2nd millennium cohort:

Alcohol Free

Dun Dun Dance

Feel My Rhythm

Queendom

In contrast, look at the rising 3rd millennium lineup:

Love Dive

Eleven

ASAP

Run2U

Next Level

Savage

Tomboy

Smiley

Fearless

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Well, if BP releases its album as rumored by many, the whole picture will probably change at least for a while.

Quote from bbgc

Anyway, I am thinking with the 3rd gen winding up, going into hiatus, doing solos etc., there is a good chance that 2nd gen will come back - Bigbang, T-ara, Kara, SNSD, SuJu etc.,

Most of them have already had their breaks after their peaks, enjoyed some time away and now can perform at their own pace, than the company curbed 4th gen.

Also they retain as fans, the population which grew up to their music and now will have far more spending power to spend on recapturing Nostalgia.

So the 4th gen- your 3rd millennials might be fighting not just the tail end of the 3rd, but also the return of the 2nd. So might not be able to dominate that easily.

Talking of Millenniums

Did you realize that every time you wrote millennium, you were writing IU as well, millennIUm ?

So she is gonna be part of every millennIUm.

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That is unlikely. They will retain some of their older fans, but in Korea their memories are still fresh so their new revival appears to be a bit premature.

SES , HOT and Sechs Kies had to wait for 10 plus years after they disbanded, and SES had the Shoo gambling scandal. HOT had the scruple Moon Heejoon had with his fans ; and Sechs Kies had the Kang Sunghoon fiasco so even Yoo Jaesuk would be a bit reluctant to organize reunions, since his efforts to get them together led to the above disasters.

Lee Jieun , although a member of the 2nd Gen, had her heyday at the middle of 3rd Gen, AFTER Exo and Twice, and just before BTS. So she will probably ally with the 3rd Gen and fight the 2nd Gen who were mostly her rivals.